Playing with the ether; Theremin performance heading to Honesdale

Thereminist Jason Smeltzer, left, will be joined by pianist Wayne Smith for the performance.

Contributed photo by Janelle Rought

By Sandy Long
November 15, 2012 —

HONESDALE, PA — “It’s easy to embarrass yourself, but I’m willing to fall on my face,” quipped Jason Smeltzer while describing the process of performing on an unusual and little-known instrument called the theremin. The early electronic instrument’s most characteristic feature is the fact that it is played without physical contact from the performer.

The public will have an opportunity to experience the theremin during a performance at Grace Episcopal Church on Courthouse Square in Honesdale at 7 p.m. on November 17.

Named for its Russian inventor, Professor Leon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928, the theremin is a forerunner of the modern synthesizer. Often used in sci-fi movie soundtracks, the instrument produces a distinctive eerie sound.

A theremin is played by moving one’s hands in the proximity of two metal antennas. The distance from one antenna determines pitch, and the distance from the other controls volume. Audio signals are amplified through a loudspeaker.

Described on Wikipedia as “easy to learn but difficult to master,” playing the instrument involves controlling pitch without the guidance of keys, valves or frets, while minimizing the instrument’s tendency to shift tone due to its design. Pitch control is challenging because a theremin can generate tones of any pitch, including those that lie between conventional notes.

Playing a theremin skillfully requires a certain “spatial intuition,” to the instrument, according to Smeltzer, who continues to explore this aspect.

Robert Moog, an early electronics enthusiast, began building theremins in the 1950s, which led to the creation of his groundbreaking synthesizer, the Moog. Right before Moog died, he came out with a professional version of the theremin, which Smeltzer invested in and found somewhat disappointing. “It lacked a certain believability,” said Smeltzer, who prefers his original theremin. “We understand one another.”

Smeltzer bought that theremin a decade ago primarily “as a joke.” An interest in early electronic instruments led to some online tinkering where he came across the instrument and bought it for $300. Fascinated with his find, he began conducting research and “disappeared for three years into a semi-deliberate, self-imposed exile,” during which he perfected his ability to play the mystifying instrument.